The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres came out of the MLB All-Star break red-hot to not only push themselves atop the National League Wild Card race but challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West standings.

Over 25 games to begin the second half of the schedule, they held the league’s two best records during that span and found themselves deadlocked by overall record at 69-53 to own the top two Wild Card slots.

Arizona notably went 20-5 through its first eight series of the post-All-Star break schedule, leading MLB in batting average and slugging.

Down the stretch of the season, four teams separated from the pack to contend for three Wild Card spots, including the Padres and Diamondbacks.

Here’s a look at the divisional race as the D-backs and Padres chase the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Diamondbacks standings in the NL West

Here’s a look at the NL Wild Card race as the D-backs and Padres attempt to cling to playoff positioning while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets give chase.

Where are the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card standings?

* The Mets (and Braves) own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the D-backs. There is no longer a Game 163 to break ties in the standings.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks moved into sole possession of the NL’s second Wild Card spot on Friday by taking a one-game lead over the New York Mets, who lost 12-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Atlanta Braves, who lost 4-3 at Miami, are three games behind the Diamondbacks and two games behind the Mets.

The Diamondbacks (86-68) bounced back after blowing a four-run lead and beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 on Friday night.

The Phillies wrapped up their third straight playoff berth in style by blowing out the Mets. Philadelphia’s victory coupled with Atlanta’s loss in Miami eliminated the Braves (83-71) from contention for the NL East crown — ending their six-year reign atop the division.

The Phillies (92-62) extended their NL East lead to seven games over the second-place Mets (85-69) with eight to play.

Assured at least a National League Wild Card, the Phillies can secure their first division title since 2011 with one more win this weekend against the rival Mets at Citi Field.

New York, which had won four in a row and 16 of 20, remained two games ahead of Atlanta for the final NL playoff spot.

Mets lose to Phillies

Alec Bohm had four hits and four RBIs, including a three-run homer, Nick Castellanos recorded three hits and two RBIs and J.T. Realmuto added a two-run homer for the Phillies against New York. Philadelphia outhit the Mets 17-4.

The Phillies stole five bases — four in a six-run fourth inning capped by Bohm’s homer off reliever Adam Ottavino.

Starter Cristopher Sánchez overcame a shaky start and five walks in five innings for the win.

With the division crown so close, Philadelphia planned a mellow celebration following Friday night’s game — hoping to let loose soon with a boozy clubhouse bash after locking up first place.

New York’s J.D. Martinez went 0-for-3 with a walk and is hitless in 31 at-bats.

Braves stumble in Miami

Marlins starter Valente Bellozo allowed three runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings. Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Declan Cronin and Jesus Tinoco combined for two-hit relief. Tinoco got three straight outs for his second save.

Atlanta’s Charlie Morton gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings and threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the fifth.

Miami’s Jake Burger hit a run-scoring ground-rule double in a three-run first that included Kyle Stowers’ RBI single and Jonah Bride’s sacrifice fly.

“The story of that game was the first inning,” Morton said. “If I walk a couple guys, give up a couple hits, run my pitch count up or whatever, that’s fine. Got to the fifth inning and I felt like I was in a position where I could limit that run, and I didn’t.”

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, a switch-hitter batting right-handed only, was 0-for-4 in his return from a fractured left wrist that had sidelined him since July 21.

Wild Card race look ahead to Saturday

RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.00 ERA) pitches for the Diamondbacks and RHP Aaron Civale (7-8, 4.48) starts for the Brewers when their four-game series continues Saturday.

Philadelphia All-Star lefty Ranger Suárez (12-7, 3.13) will pitch Saturday against Mets LHP Sean Manaea (11-5, 3.26), who has lasted at least 6.2 innings in seven consecutive outings.

Atlanta LHP Max Fried (9-10, 3.49) will start the second game of the series for the Braves on Saturday against Marlins RHP Adam Oller (1-4, 5.40).

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The Diamondbacks have won three straight contests and picked up a game on both the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card race on Friday.

PIÑA POWER IS SO BACK. pic.twitter.com/uW5N9VBGMo

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 21, 2024

Gurriel had not played a game since Sept. 1 after a left calf strain, but he came up clutch to smoke an outside changeup to deep left field off southpaw DL Hall.

He did so at the perfect juncture, too, considering the D-backs just lost a 4-0 lead after three Brewers homered off Zac Gallen in the fifth inning: Joey Ortiz, William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell.

The offense picked up Gallen right away, as Gurriel’s 18th homer of the year supplied a 5-4 lead. The D-backs scratched across another pair of runs to give the bullpen some breathing room. Corbin Carroll plated a run on a slow ground out, and pinch hitter Randal Grichuk walked with the bases loaded on nine pitches.

“It’s always a great thing after the opposite team comes and scores a few runs, if you come back and — boom — hit them back, it will shut down their momentum and actually pick up momentum on our side,” Gurriel said through a translator.

Arizona’s bullpen was excellent to preserve the lead, as Kevin Ginkel, Justin Martinez and Ryan Thompson each tossed scoreless frames before the ninth inning. A.J. Puk shut the door for the save on three strikeouts.

The Diamondbacks reinstated Gurriel from the 10-day IL before first pitch on Friday, designating infielder Luis Guillorme for assignment to create the roster spot. Gurriel was hot at the time of his injury, hitting .354 with three homers and five doubles over his previous 19 games.

Gurriel came out of the game after a walk in the seventh inning for a pinch runner, ending his return 2-for-3 and reaching base three times.

“It feels really satisfying to, one be back on the field, and two, in a crucial week like it is,” Gurriel said through a translator. “And then the fact that I didn’t just come back, I had an opportunity to help the team, too. It was a great night for me.”

Arizona took a 1-0 in the first inning on a Ketel Marte solo shot, his career-high 33rd of the season. Marte reached base four times on Friday with three hits and a walk, including an RBI double and bunt single.

Geraldo Perdomo singled in the second run off Brewers starter Colin Rea during the second inning, and Carroll hit a sacrifice fly to take a 3-0 lead. Marte’s double scored Perdomo in the fifth inning.

Gallen opened the game with four scoreless innings before the long ball bit him in the fifth. He finished with five innings and four earned runs.

NL Wild Card check-in

Arizona (86-68) reclaimed sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot, one game up on the Mets. The D-backs also jumped to three games up on the Braves, who are on the outside looking in.

“It’s a good feeling, but we’ve got eight more games to go,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “No deal is done. We’ve got to go out and play our best baseball from here on out.”

D-backs starter Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.00 ERA) pitches on Saturday against Milwaukee right-hander Aaron Civale (7-8, 4.48).

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte set a new career high with his 33rd home run of the season in the first inning of Friday’s 7-4 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marte jumped on the first pitch from Brewers right-hander Colin Rea and just got enough of it to deep right field. Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick — who robbed Corbin Carroll of a home run last weekend at Chase Field — leaped but came up short of bring it back.

Ketel Marte sneaks one out to give the @Dbacks an early lead 🐍 pic.twitter.com/0Pa971lCHK

— MLB (@MLB) September 21, 2024

The shot gave Arizona an early 1-0 lead after it defeated Milwaukee 5-1 in Thursday’s series opener. Marte nearly missed his 33rd big fly on Thursday with a shot off the wall.

Marte hit 32 home runs during his breakout 2019 campaign and had yet to eclipse 30 game until this season. He hit 25 in 2023. Injuries over the years have impacted his output, and even with an injured list stint last month (ankle), Marte’s power has been so consistent this year as one of baseball’s premier power hitters.

There was a stretch this summer in which he seemed to homer every day, as he blasted 13 dingers from July 10 to Aug. 10 (26 games).

The switch-hitter entered Friday tied for fifth in the National League in home runs, only trailing Shohei Ohtani (51), Marcell Ozuna (38), Kyle Schwarber (35) and Pete Alonso (34).

Twelve of his home runs this season have come in the first inning, a feat only Paul Goldschmidt has accomplished in a D-backs uniform (13 in 2018), according to Stathead.

Importantly for the D-backs, Marte is finding a groove again. He started 0-for-11 after coming off the IL on Sept. 6. Since then, he entered Friday 7-for-27 (.259) with an .873 OPS over his last eight games.

Marte recorded three hits on Friday, including an RBI double down the left-field line and a bunt single.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks have more starting-caliber players than spots in the batting order, but keeping the red-hot Pavin Smith involved has been discussed as the club embarks on the final week of the regular season.

Manager Torey Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday he spoke with general manager Mike Hazen on ways to continue giving Smith opportunities even with left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from the injured list.

Gurriel rejoined the lineup after nearly three weeks down (calf) on Friday for a matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, but Lovullo kept Smith in the starting nine in right field against right-handed starter Colin Rea. Corbin Carroll slid over to center field, while Jake McCarthy was out of the lineup for the first time in weeks.

Pavin Smith provides some 2-run insurance for the @Dbacks!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/2zPdfZs0Si

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 20, 2024

“We’re gonna be as creative as possible,” Lovullo said. “We’re gonna try to make sure the best combination of baseball players are gonna help us win baseball games, that’s it, bottom line. If that includes Pavin Smith, we have to find time for him. His OPS is in the .950 range (.969), he’s helped us win games, he’s killing the baseball. I’m not gonna put everything down and say, ‘Okay, you’re on the bench.'”

Smith smoked a two-run home run for insurance in Thursday’s 5-1 win over Milwaukee, his fifth of the month.

“Lourdes is going a have a bit of a return-to-play program, I’m going to give certain guys days off at the right times to create some space for Pavin. He deserves this opportunity,” Lovullo added.

Smith and right-handed platoon slugger Randal Grichuk have been Arizona’s two hottest hitters in September. Grichuk leads the team with a 1.475 OPS in 38 plate appearances, while Smith is close behind at 1.355 in 50 PAs.

Since Sept. 8, Smith leads all of baseball with a 1.526 OPS in 39 plate appearances — even ahead of Shohei Ohtani and his historic 6-for-6 Thursday night against the Miami Marlins.

Smith has had an up-and-down role this season without a spot on the roster on Opening Day. He has been optioned three times since then. Yet he stepped up while filling in for Gurriel against right-handed pitching and even started games against lefties.

Torey Lovullo tells @BurnsAndGambo Pavin Smith deserves the opportunity to stay involved even with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. back from injury.

The Torey Lovullo Show is presented by Estrella Jalisco. pic.twitter.com/E3A91vKRq1

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 20, 2024

“It kind of seems like that’s sort of the theme for this team this whole year, where guys go down and people step up. So being able to do my part in that is pretty cool,” Smith told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Sept. 10, after he hit three home runs on Sunday Night Baseball in Houston.

McCarthy is in a bit of a funk, but he is Arizona’s best bet in center field defensively — as long as Alek Thomas is in Triple-A — and had been the hot hand for a stretch this season. With Grichuk penned in against lefties, Joc Pederson the designated hitter against righties, the team will have to run out some different-looking combinations to keep Smith in even a semi-regular role.

It’s a great problem to have, and it goes beyond Smith with questions of what to do with Josh Bell or whether Thomas can make his way back for a postseason roster spot if the D-backs get there.

For now, Smith will have a chance to continue producing in another key game Friday at 5:10 p.m. Zac Gallen is on the mound for Arizona.

The game will air on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

Diamondbacks’ lineup

Game 154.https://t.co/epBmrbY9CZ | https://t.co/k9Xjx1tKgF pic.twitter.com/UHBxDInHe0

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 20, 2024

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The D-backs designated infielder Luis Guillorme for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

Gurriel will bat fifth and start in left field on Friday.

He landed on the IL with a left calf strain on Sept. 2, missing more time than the minimum stint manager Torey Lovullo was initially optimistic about.

The veteran played in continuation camp games this week after taking live at-bats, the final step before jumping back into the lineup.

Gurriel was hitting the ball very well before hitting the shelf, hitting .338 with a .976 OPS in his last 20 games. He has a .744 OPS this season with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs over 125 games in his second season with the club.

Arizona’s fill-ins have stepped up admirably, though.

Pavin Smith has seen an increase in playing time in left field. In 13 games since Gurriel suffered the injury, he is batting .400 in 45 plate appearances with five home runs.

Smith’s season OPS is all the way up to .969, as he is making a case for a role down the stretch.

Randal Grichuk, typically Arizona’s designated hitter against lefties, has offered immense power this month with six home runs and four doubles while hitting .455.

After getting Gabriel Moreno back from the IL (adductor strain) last weekend and now Gurriel, Arizona has a full arsenal offensively. Even center fielder Alek Thomas and shortstop Jordan Lawlar recently returned from injuries and provide depth in Triple-A Reno.

There are nine games left in the regular season, and Arizona’s final six games are at home starting Monday against the San Francisco Giants.

Guillorme, a midseason pickup, played in 18 games with Arizona and hit .162 with 11 walks and three stolen bases while providing plus defense.

He helped fill in with Ketel Marte suffering an ankle injury last month.

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Infielder Demetrio Crisantes, a 2022 seventh-round pick from Nogales High School, reached base safely in 57 consecutive games from June 25 to the end of the regular season at Single-A Visalia in a breakout campaign.

Crisantes is tracking down the unofficial MiLB record of 71 straight games, set by former Boston Red Sox players Kevin Millar and Kevin Youkilis. Crisantes will have the opportunity to do next season.

The prospect joined MLB Network’s Intentional Talk last week, and Millar himself got to ask him about coming for his record.

“100%,” Crisantes said. “I read that you had 71, and I told my mom I’m gonna get there and my dad too. I’m gonna get past 71, I’m gonna break that record.”

Demetrio Crisantes is coming for your MiLB on-base streak record, @KMillar15 👀

The @VisaliaRawhide standout joins Intentional Talk from the bus ON THE WAY to a playoff game to talk about his 57-game on-base streak and more! pic.twitter.com/hVIv0JyhaI

— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) September 12, 2024

Beyond the on-base streak, Crisantes has dominated for the Rawhide since his promotion from rookie ball in June.

Crisantes hit .333/.429/.478 in 63 games with 16 double, six home runs and 20 steals. He ranked 12th in the California League in steals despite the delayed start. And his .921 OPS ranks sixth among minor leaguers with at least 400 plate appearances — D-backs catcher Adrian Del Castillo is first at 1.017, according to FanGraphs.

On Wednesday, MiLB named Crisantes to the California League All-Star team, along with fellow Visalia teammates outfielder Druw Jones, designated hitter Angel Ortiz and pitcher Daniel Nunez.

Crisantes jumped from outside the top 30 to No. 13 on MLB Pipeline’s D-backs prospects rankings this season, and Pipeline named him Arizona’s breakout prospect of 2024.

D-backs farm director Shaun Larkin said Crisantes is as good a bet as anyone to break the on-base record given his approach.

“He just has a good, quality, advanced approach, especially for his age and for the levels he was at this year,” Larkin told Arizona Sports. “Swings at strikes, takes balls, moves the ball forward, hits it hard. And you combine all those things, especially at the A-ball levels, you’re gonna have a lot of success.

“You watch him take batting practice, you watch how he goes about his work, the conversations you have with him. He’s just an advanced, confident hitter who’s humble enough to keep working but confident enough to not be afraid of anything.”

Demetrio Crisantes finished the Single-A regular season with a 57-game on-base streak!

The @Dbacks‘ No. 13 prospect and the @VisaliaRawhide begin the Cal League playoffs tonight. pic.twitter.com/hVleFUkqrl

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 10, 2024

Larkin said Crisantes will likely start next season one level up in High-A Hillsboro.

“Our job is to make sure we’re constantly putting our players in a position of success, while also making sure they’re being challenged,” Larkin said. “And he’s proved the challenge point at the levels he was at this past year, and I think he’ll continue moving up.”

Druw Jones closes season strong

Jones, Arizona’s Minor League Player of the Month for August, is also expected to start next season in Hillsboro after spending all of 2024 in Visalia.

The 2022 No. 2 overall pick produced a batting line of .275/.409/.405 with six home runs and 21 stolen bases while continuing to play elite defense in center field. He finished the season 12-for-36 with four extra-base hits and six walks over his final 10 games.

Jones was held back by injuries after the draft in 2022 and throughout the 2023 season, so getting a full year under his belt was valuable.

“Just a great year on lot of levels for him,” Larkin said. “Not only the production, but the mechanical adjustments he made, the mindset he had and how he handled the ups and downs of a full season, the health, the teammate part of it, just a great year for Druw. We’ll continue to push him as he’s ready. And I think he proved that he’s ready for the next challenge.”

The 20-year-old is Arizona’s No. 2 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s list.

Druw Jones calls game … off the barn! 🛖@VisaliaRawhide | @Dbacks | @jones_druw pic.twitter.com/Ynjefpq4c5

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 12, 2024

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Arizona Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt struck out seven straight Milwaukee Brewers hitters during a dominant seven-inning outing at American Family Field on Thursday. The D-backs (85-68) finished off a key 5-1 victory to kick off the final 10 games of the regular season.

Coming off giving up eight earned runs in 1.2 innings against the Brewers at Chase Field last weekend, Pfaadt opened Thursday’s game with three perfect innings to set the tone.

Brice Turang gave the Brewers their first hit to lead off the fourth, but Pfaadt stranded him on second after a pair of strikeouts.

The punch outs kept rolling, as Pfaadt struck out the side in the fifth inning, caught Sal Frelick looking to lead off the sixth and punched out Andruw Monasterio swinging for seven Ks in a row. That tied a franchise record for consecutive strikeouts in a single game. Randy Johnson did so three times and Curt Schilling once — all in 2001.

Pfaadt struck out 11 batters through six scoreless innings to tie a career high. And at 85 pitches, there was something left in the tank.

The right-hander came out for the seventh, recorded two outs but surrendered a solo shot to Garrett Mitchell to end the shutout.

Pfaadt struck out Blake Perkins to end the inning, setting a new career high with 12. He came out of the game with a 3-1 lead after a season-high 104 pitches. Pfaadt dotted up the top of the strike zone with his heater, which he used for 14 of his 21 whiffs on Thursday. Paired with the sweeper he appeared to have a better feel for than last week, and Pfaadt had Brewers hitters looking off-kilter all game long.

He relented two hits and no walks.

Brandon Pfaadt, K’ing the Side in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/HBRYRKYwZu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 20, 2024

This season, there had only been 10 starts made in MLB with at least seven innings, 12 strikeouts and one earned run for fewer entering Thursday, according to Stathead.

The last Diamondbacks pitcher to do so was Merrill Kelly, who put together two such starts last season.

Pfaadt had not recorded a quality start in his previous six outings, as the second-year big leaguer has been in a funk of late (9.00 ERA in that span). He went on a five-game quality streak earlier this season as a staple in a banged up rotation.

American Family Field was the venue for Pfaadt’s postseason debut last October in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, which kicked off a run that put Pfaadt on the map with a 3.27 ERA in five games.

The Diamondbacks have received back-to-back stellar outings ahead of Zac Gallen Friday and Kelly on Saturday. Eduardo Rodriguez threw 6.1 innings with two earned runs and 11 strikeouts on Wednesday in Colorado.

This is only the eighth instance in club history when D-backs starters struck out at least 11 batters in back-to-back games. Gallen and Kelly did so last season. Johnson was involved in five of these.

Brandon Pfaadt’s 10th and 11th Ks. pic.twitter.com/MibrFv7EMb

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 20, 2024

Arizona gave Pfaadt a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, as Brewers starter Tobias Myers dueled Pfaadt early, albeit without the efficiency.

The D-backs took the lead 1-0 on an error by Monasterio at third base. Ketel Marte hit a single off the wall for an RBI, and the third run scored on a deep sacrifice fly out by Christian Walker.

Pavin Smith smacked a two-run shot in the eighth inning for insurance. A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez locked the game down in the final two frames.

The Diamondbacks entered Thursday tied with the New York Mets — but without the head-to-head tiebreaker — for the second NL Wild Card spot. New York defeated Philadelphia on Thursday.

The D-backs will see Brewers right-hander Colin Rea on Friday with first pitch at 5:10 p.m.

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AZCentral.com published a summary of letters from this week that show suddenly contentious exchanges between the D-backs and county. Maricopa County sent a counteroffer that Diamondbacks CEO and president Derrick Hall in a private reply called “extremely offensive.”

Hall confirmed Thursday to Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta the relationship has taken a sour turn in the past week. In fact, he said he now doesn’t “see a deal in sight” with the current lease expiring in 2027.

“It was definitely the offer, the counterproposal, which is in my words ridiculous,” Hall said of what offended him. “But also the fact that they went public with it. I don’t understand it. For quite some time, I’ve used words like ‘encouraging, optimistic.’ Those words are gone, for sure. And it’s sad.

“I mean, they decided to go public with this rather than to do what we’ve done all along, quietly, privately, respectfully. You go attorney to attorney, it stays confidential. They then send us a response and a counter and make it public and it goes into the media, and that’s just their side of the situation.”

Among the problematic parts of a counteroffer sent to the team is that the county is asking for a D-backs commitment of about $200 million if it wants to unlock zoning for mixed-use developments of restaurants, hotels and retail around the ballpark, Hall said.

D-backs' Derrick Hall 'doesn't see a deal in sight' for Chase Field after a letter from the county.

Derrick Hall's visit with Bickley & Marotta is presented by All Pro Shade Concepts.

Full interview: https://t.co/bdUZ8KG55l pic.twitter.com/u2H5mU2MXX

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 19, 2024

Assistant county manager Zach Schira told AZCentral.com that the offer was “fair” and the county is committed to keeping the team at Chase Field. But the county did not respond to AZCentral.com when asked for a response to the D-backs’ public statements about the counteroffer.

Hall told Arizona Sports that the article shows how difficult the county has been to deal with.

D-backs’ relationship with Maricopa County over Chase Field has an up and down history

The Diamondbacks had reached a gulf with Maricopa County a half-decade ago over who is in charge of the stadium — it is county-owned — but reached a deal that allowed the D-backs to take control of non-baseball events such as concerts. That put the team squarely in charge of keeping Chase Field up to date, the county has maintained.

Up until this week, Hall had said the relationship with the county was in a good place.

Separate discussions for the Diamondbacks about how to fund Chase Field upgrades revolved around a tax recapture similar to how the Arizona Cardinals fund upgrades and maintenance at State Farm Stadium.

But this week, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers’ response and counteroffer to a letter sent by Hall this summer took a different tone.

“I can’t figure out why they want it to be public. It just shows how bad of a proposal it was,” Hall told Bickley & Marotta. “This is a government authority that has proven all along that they do not have the desire nor the ability to put any money into their own building. Not a penny. And you can see it in their proposal.

“Here they are asking us to sign a 50-year extension without any public funding at the time — which we’re trying to seek through tax recollection, which is very realistic — and still asking us nonetheless to not even pursue mixed use, which we have said all along we need with restaurant, hotel, retail around the ballpark. And they say they won’t allow us to even talk about that opportunity and quote-unquote unlock that opportunity and possibility until we’ve put nearly $200 million into the ballpark. Again, they’re not even putting a penny.”

Hall said the timeline to find a solution remains the first month or two of the 2025 calendar year.

The upcoming election before then also comes into play, with the author of the most testy letter to the D-backs, Sellers, having lost his primary, meaning he won’t return to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Two other supervisors didn’t seek reelection, meaning most of the current five-member board won’t be returning.

Still, Hall said Thursday the tone from the county has “taken the wind out of any sails.”

“I don’t see a deal now with the county, at least with this current board composition. I mean, it’s just impossible,” Hall said. “We’ll continue to work with the state and city and see if there’s a way to bail them out with their problems that they’re building.”

Hall said the D-backs will still pursue avenues to keep the team at Chase Field. A Nov. 5 general election stands between his deadline. Finding answers to how the Diamondbacks will fund stadium updates remains a challenge itself.

“We need to know there’s that partnership, that private-public partnership,” he said. “If we can find that by that time (in early 2025), we’ll be fine.”

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Participants will complete a 5K race through downtown Phoenix. The course will begin and end at Chase Field.

Proceeds from the race will be donated to local non-profit organizations that provide patient treatment and support for those diagnosed with cancer. Donations also support screening tools that can assist with earlier diagnoses and innovative treatment options for current patients.

Individuals and businesses can register to raise money for the event. Funders can sign up individually or as a team and are eligible for prizes like D-backs tickets and autographed merchandise.

All participants will receive a commemorative shirt, drawstring bag, finisher medal, chip timing for the race and an upper-level ticket voucher for one of Arizona’s games against the San Diego Padres from Sept. 27-29, the weekend of the race.

The D-backs are facing a potential knock-out matchup against the Padres to close the season.

The race registration fee is $50 through Sept. 20 and $60 after Sept. 20. Registration closes on Sept. 28.

For more information or to sign up, fans can visit dbacks.com/race.

The general ticket allotment will be made available on Friday at 9 a.m.

Tickets for National League Wild Card (NLWC), National League Division Series (NLDS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS) games at Chase Field will all be available for purchase.

How do I buy Diamondbacks postseason tickets?

Fans can visit dbacks.com/postseason, the Chase Field box office or call 602-462-4600.

Will the Diamondbacks be in the playoffs?

With 10 games remaining, the Diamondbacks have yet to clinch a playoff berth but are in the thick of the National League Wild Card race.

The Diamondbacks sit in the third and final wild card spot and are two games up on the Atlanta Braves through Wednesday.

The D-backs will head to Milwaukee for a four-game set against the Brewers. They then have the final six at home with a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants from Sept. 23-25 and another three-game set versus the San Diego Padres on Sept. 27-29.

When does the MLB postseason begin?

The 2024 MLB postseason will start on Oct. 1, beginning with the wild card matchups. The Division Series will start on Oct. 5.

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The Brewers’ clubhouse emptied of players with one out to go in the ninth inning in Chicago a couple of hours before Milwaukee’s scheduled first pitch against Philadelphia. A muffled cheer could be hear after the final out when the Brewers won their first consecutive division title for since 1981-82.

The Brewers will host the Arizona Diamondbacks for four games starting Thursday with an opportunity to compete for a Wild Card series bye. The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Wednesday two games ahead of Milwaukee for the second seed in the NL.

Milwaukee took two of three games at Chase Field last weekend.

This marks the Brewers’ sixth postseason berth in the last seven years, a remarkable accomplishment for a team that made the playoffs just twice in a 35-year stretch from 1983-2017. But this run to the playoffs has been a little different from the rest.

Although the Brewers have grown accustomed to outperforming preseason expectations, the odds seemed stacked against them even more than usual this year.

Craig Counsell, the winningest manager in Brewers history, left for the rival Cubs. Corbin Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

Two-time All-Star right-hander Brandon Woodruff didn’t pitch all year as he recovered from shoulder surgery and two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams missed the first half of the season with stress fractures in his back. All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich and pitchers Wade Miley and Robert Gasser suffered season-ending injuries.

None of it mattered.

How did the Brewers win the NL Central?

The Brewers took over first place for good at the end of April and never looked back. They lived up to the comments Yelich made at spring training amid speculation Milwaukee would take a step backward without Counsell.

“Even when we’ve been good these last few years, no one ever picks us to be good just because we’re the Brewers,” Yelich said at the time. “It is what it is. But I think we have a chance to really surprise some people with the talent in this room.”

That’s just what they’ve done.

The Brewers benefited from the leadership of Pat Murphy, who had been Counsell’s bench coach since 2016. Rather than following Counsell to Chicago, Murphy stayed in Milwaukee and got his first full-time opportunity as a major league manager two weeks before his 65th birthday. Murphy’s only previous MLB managerial experience had come as an interim manager with San Diego in 2015.

Murphy has kept the locker room loose while guiding a team that hasn’t suffered more than three straight losses at any point this season. The Brewers are the only team that hasn’t had a losing streak of at least four games.

“I heard about what people were saying,” Murphy said this week. “A lot of people laughed at us, (said) this is a rebuild, said things like that.”

“You look at the names of the guys in this locker room,” third baseman Joey Ortiz said. “We’ve got Christian Yelich, Willy Adames, (William) Contreras, Rhys Hoskins — great leaders on this team making sure we’re locked in every single day.”

The Brewers have succeeded with what Murphy refers to as an “all-hands-on-deck” approach.

Milwaukee’s had 17 different pitchers start games this season (only the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels had more). Twelve different Brewers pitchers have collected a save, just two shy of the record of 14 set by the 2021 Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee entered Wednesday with a 3.65 ERA that ranked fourth in the majors.

The Brewers relied largely on their pitching the last few seasons and ultimately came up short in the playoffs, as they’ve lost nine of their last 10 postseason games. This year’s Brewers lineup appears to pack more punch.

Milwaukee entered Wednesday ranked fourth in total runs scored (733) and 11th in OPS (.735) after finishing 17th in runs (728) and 23rd in OPS (.704) last year.

Yelich was leading the NL in batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.406) before back issues ended his season in late July. Contreras has developed into one of the game’s best hitting catchers. Adames is the first Brewers shortstop to have a 30-homer, 100-RBI season, something even Hall of Famer Robin Yount never accomplished in Milwaukee. Jackson Chourio, who doesn’t turn 21 until next spring, is the youngest player ever to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in one season.

“They just took on that attitude: ‘This is who we are, warts and all. We’re going to go after it and we’re going to fight.’” Murphy said Tuesday.

They’ve fought their way back into the postseason.

Now they want to keep proving people wrong all the way through October by doing something this franchise has never accomplished.

“The thought is not about clinching,” pitcher Frankie Montas said Tuesday. “It’s about going all the way and trying to win a World Series.”

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The southpaw allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk to preserve an early lead. Arizona jumped ahead 6-0 by the second inning, as Corbin Carroll homered twice to drive in three runs. Randal Grichuk doubled and went yard, scoring twice.

Wednesday marked Rodriguez’s deepest start of his eight with the Diamondbacks (84-68) thus far and his first quality start. His 11 strikeouts were his most in a single game since the 2019 season with the Boston Red Sox.

Eduardo Rodríguez’s 10th and 11th Ks pic.twitter.com/NFtzGRlbr0

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2024

Rodriguez dotted up the strike zone, finding particular success with the four-seamer, which drew 11 of his season-high 16 swings-and-misses.

His sole hiccup came in the third inning with three straight singles, none of which were hit particularly hard but flared into the outfield. Rodriguez faced 25 batters and allowed two hard-hit balls in play (95 mph off the bat or harder). By the time Rodriguez exited, Arizona had nine hard-hit balls, eight off Rockies starter Austin Gomber in two innings.

It was a welcome follow-up to his last outing, as the veteran threw five innings with two earned runs and seven strikeouts on Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed 12 earned runs in 13.1 innings over his previous three starts. With Ryne Nelson on the injured list and Brandon Pfaadt scuffling of late, Rodriguez hitting his stride down the stretch provides a bit of stability to a rotation in need of it. He is lined up for two more starts with 10 games left on the schedule.

Eduardo Rodríguez’s 2Ks in the 4th.

8Ks thru 4. pic.twitter.com/7210l19mmD

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2024

Arizona relievers Ryan Thompson and Justin Martinez put up zeroes before Colorado charged Joe Mantiply with two runs.

The offense had chances to tack on but came up short until the ninth inning. Carroll scored his third run of the game by walking, advancing to third on a Joc Pederson single and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Christian Walker. Carroll has 115 runs scored this season, second-most in the NL.

The D-backs tacked on two more runs on RBI knocks from Pavin Smith and Eugenio Suarez.

Arizona avoided a three-game sweep against the now 94-loss Rockies and head to Milwaukee for four games against the Brewers, who took two of three games at Chase Field last weekend.

Milwaukee clinched the National League Central title on Wednesday after the Chicago Cubs lost against Oakland.

The Diamondbacks matched their 2023 season win total.

Diamondbacks’ next game

Thursday’s series opener bring up a pitching matchup of Pfaadt against Brewers righty Tobias Myers.

First pitch is at 4:15 p.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.  

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Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll crushed two home runs in as many innings off Colorado Rockies southpaw Austin Gomber on Wednesday, giving Arizona an early lead and himself another milestone.

Carroll earned his second straight 20-home run, 20-stolen base season, as he has clubbed 19 homers over his last 61 games to reach 21 on the year.

Welcome back to the 20/20 club, Corbin Carroll! pic.twitter.com/22vwwlMhfx

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2024

Only five Diamondbacks players have recorded multiple 20-20 campaigns. Chris Young leads with three (2007, 2010 and 2011), while Paul Goldschmidt (2015 and 2016), Justin Upton (2009 and 2011) and Eric Byrnes (2006 and 2007) each have a couple.

Carroll blasted 25 home runs with 54 stolen bases last season and can become the first D-backs player with consecutive 20-30 campaigns. He entered Wednesday with 29 steals.

The 24-year-old is the 14th major leaguer to reach the 20-20 mark this season.

His first home run kicked off a three-run first inning for Arizona coming off back-to-back losses at Coors Field with four runs scored.

Randal Grichuk doubled and scored on a Christian Walker screaming single to left. Pavin Smith walked, and Gabriel Moreno punched an RBI single to center to take a 3-0 lead.

Carroll’s second-inning dinger was a two-run shot, and Grichuk followed a deep homer to center for a 6-0 lead.

Corbin Carroll has two homers in two innings in Colorado! pic.twitter.com/bXTww7hGGq

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2024

Catch the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.

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“Where would the Arizona Diamondbacks be without A.J. Puk?” is a question that by the day becomes more relevant.

The D-backs’ bullpen entered Wednesday with the highest ERA in baseball during September at a whopping 7.53, a significant difference than the results it saw down the stretch last year. Puk, meanwhile, has been arguably the most dominant reliever in MLB since joining Arizona from the Miami Marlins with a ridiculous 42% strikeout rate (fourth in MLB).

The 6-foot-7 left-hander is one of two relievers in the league with at least 22 innings and one earned run or fewer since his D-backs debut on July 27. His 20-game scoreless streak is climbing the franchise leaderboard, as he is six back of Yoshi Hirano (26 in 2018) for the club record.

“A.J. has been exactly what we needed,” assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Tuesday. “Obviously, he’s given Torey (Lovullo) a guy who he can rely on to come in and put a fire out for the best part of the lineup. And we’ve had that in the past with certain guys, and it’s good to always have that person in your back pocket, but you can’t pitch them every night, as we know.”

No Diamondbacks pitcher has ever started their tenure with an 0.41 ERA through 24 outings before Puk. Doug Slaten (0.60) had the previous best mark, according to Stathead. There’s arguably no trade deadline acquisition doing their job better than Puk even if position players have the greater WAR impact.

Puk’s dominance has been a need for a bullpen that has plenty of arms having excellent seasons but difficult stretches. Chalk it up to heavy usage, the natural ups and downs of being a reliever or what have you, but the Diamondbacks’ bullpen has become a bit of a puzzle.

AJ Puk, K’ing the Side…with 2 Swords. ⚔️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/NmJkhUhzPu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 25, 2024

“I think it’s hard sometimes for people to remember individual performances. But I think back to last September at this time, there were games where Kevin Ginkel struggled last September at this time and in the playoffs, he was a monster,” Sawdaye said.

“The last couple nights haven’t worked out as well for Gink, but he’s been a mainstay and a stud for us all year. … We’ve seen Thompson get back on track and hit a little bit of a bump in the road a couple weeks ago and get back on track. We have Justin (Martinez) and (Joe) Mantiply and Puk and that group that’s in the bullpen down there. … I do have confidence they’ll right the ship and they’ll definitely be a high-performing group in the next couple weeks.”

Diamondbacks senior vice president and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye discusses reliever Kevin Ginkel’s recent struggles with @WolfandLuke.

Front Office Focus is presented by Canvas. pic.twitter.com/2nnt0hZej2

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 17, 2024

Diamondbacks’ bullpen going through ups and downs

Ginkel has had a couple weeks to forget after he entered September on a 12-game scoreless streak. He surrendered the lead in each of his last two appearances but has been Arizona’s trusted fireman all year, moving about in different situations. Thompson has had a sub-2.00 ERA for most of the season, and after a tumultuous August, his last five outings have been closer to what has been expected of him. Mantiply has not allowed an earned run over his last eight appearances.

And Martinez continues to receive the toughest challenges late in games, coming in with runners on and is growing as a potential future closer.

“He’s gotten plenty of reps this year, and you can see he’s kind of embraced that role and he just looks comfortable out there. He’s not scared of any situation, he’s not scared of any hitter,” Mantiply said of Martinez on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo.

It’s just not as deep a group of pitchers firing at their best as last season, when the bullpen was a prime reason for Arizona’s run to the World Series.

Losing Bryce Jarvis for the year hurts, and the Dylan Floro trade was a dud. Perhaps the most significant departure is a version of Paul Sewald who can lock down the ninth inning. There’s a reason Lovullo had stayed firm that the best version of the bullpen had Sewald in the back end up until recently. Now, Sewald is on the injured list with left neck discomfort, likely ending his regular season at least.

Starting prospects Yilber Diaz and Blake Walston are to eat innings, along with Scott McGough and Brandon Hughes, who have spent most of the year in the minor leagues. That’s essentially half the bullpen stitched together in the past 10 days, which heightens the importance of shutdown innings from the A-team relievers.

“It’s the waves throughout the year you go through, especially as a relievers, they’re constantly going up and down,” Mantiply said of the struggles. “When guys struggle, it’s for probably a bunch of different reasons. I mean, myself, I’ve definitely had my struggles. They come and go, and you try to have a short memory and just get back out there.

“You just hope that you can be the guy that picks us up when somebody’s struggling. Because when I’m struggling, I’m hoping somebody’s gonna pick me up. So that’s just kind of the waves that you ride. Nobody wants to struggle right here at the end in a playoff push but sometimes they come and go and you just hope to get through them.”

The Diamondbacks remain in prime position to reach the postseason with projections of doing so at 77.5% on FanGraphs and 87.9% on Baseball Reference. They have had to win differently than a year ago with an offense that has largely made up for the pitching, although that was not the case the past two losses in Colorado.

Puk has been as reliable as possible, and getting the best version of the other core four (Ginkel, Thompson, Martinez and Mantiply) will create better opportunities for Arizona to clinch and shorten games in the postseason.

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